Let's Talk About IT Career Paths

[DRF138]

I have the opportunity to take msce cetr. training at no cost except for paying for the exam-the training is on win 2000 however and it doesn't seem feasible with the new release already out-it's not my money but why waste state resources on something that is archahic in a few years...I like building computers, I like building networks, I have a small home lab, I could work with computers for the rest of my life, regardless of the pay, or market saturation-but the bank will have my house sooner or later :-) Anyway, If I am lookng at making myself marketable and have the financial & job placement resources available to me to achive that...what would I be best suited in pursuing (educationally) ?
is it logical to think that with some certifications and an entry level position I could continually increase my knowledge base at the expense of a company (assuming I wasn't downsized) and be gainfully employed doing something I enjoy ?
Some of my thoughts are:
networking is not going to be obsolete any time soon, Someone must build computers,Someone must service/troubleshoot them, and while the market is not as vast in the midwest I could market myself anywhere with that knowledge.

So, Is it Cisco Cert., MSCE,MSCA,MCP,RCHE???
Which way to go???
I really like building, and trouble shooting,doesn't matter if it be 1 computer or 100-give me a screw driver!!!

Any thoughts and recommendations would be fantastic, Worst case scenario is I will build and learn on my own,in my lab and use the states grant to get a welding certificate or some other skilled trade that'll pay the bills steady...might not be that bad of a prospect-though my wife will eventually leave me becasue I "spend more time with the *&#@ computers than her" anyway we've probaly all heard that at one time or another or we wouldn't be here in front of the screen now...if not I envy you...
Thanks for your time and effort in responding.
DAVID

[Omardeth]

to be honost , the market is VERY full of people with those now . so unless you have an "in " it might be hard to find a job doing it other than starting your own biz

if you have a grant it you might want to look into another field . don't get me wrong if thats what you like to do , and it is what you want to do , then by all means do it . but remember the comp will be VERY heavy when you get your cert . you will be fresh outta school going up against people with years of experence ...

the best field i think at the moment is nursing ... they make bank . they work long hours and do alot of schooling . but the demand is higher than the supply .

but don't listen to me , do what you want to do or what you think is best for yyou .

[John Prophet]

one word sort of comes to my mind.

oppurtunity.

Quote--> "I have the opportunity to take msce cetr. training at no cost except for paying for the exam"


And your question is???

lol. take it, you will learn a ton. W2k is a great operating system..it will be in the field for years to come...w2003 is just out...it will take a while for it to be widely implemented etc.

Certs are helpful to have...they show something about a person...that the person has a certain level of knowledge...that he is willing to learn and to study etc. That he is interested in the field, not just looking to pay the bills.

Certs have many benefits and in no way do they hurt you.....thats easy math to figure.

Take advantage of the oppurtunity.

Plus, maybe the economy and IT situation will rebound in the coming months...there have been some small signs of that. besides, economy or no, comps arent going anywhere, they are here to stay....you dont have to be on an IT staff to make money working with comps...everyone and his brother wants a comp at home, they want broadband and they want a comp in little johnnys room and little cindys room and wireless for dads laptop so he can brag to the neighbor....and the home media thing is taking off....someone has to setup/maintain all that....may as well be you! lol.

JP

[DRF138]

I am more of the entrepreneurial type , and the thought had crossed my mind-I have had a couple business-that's how I came into the grant in the first place...
that's competition too. but i can market like hell.
It just concerns me that in the mean time i would be stuck in the career i'm in until capital manifests to start up-and let me tell you with this economy it's not coming in waves-more like a trickle-I am going to have to work to get there and a skilled trade does pay better and would ultimately get me to the biz qucker-kinda of a catch 22 cause i have to pick one or the other. Because of the price tag on the mcse traing- I could bust it into segments like getting an A+ & An MCP then use the other 5k towards some type of skilled trade (welding-whatever pays more than the 8 bucks an hour i'm getting now). Does any one think this would be prudent-Say for example enough to perhaps work with computers on the side or in my own biz in the future ?

[Gait_Keeper]

never me never me, I get no brakes at all

go for it, mett chicks, gain resume points, and everything that was already said

like nike, just do it!!!!!!!!!!!!

[DRF138]

John I think that is the lift I needed,I really appreciate it-Opportunity indeed, It's just kinda scary-I'm not getting younger. But you hit the nail on the head the home media thing is taking off and I am the first person anyone asks about comps-becasue the have seen my lab which on any given day explodes into my dining room living room kitchen etc. some people have magazines or newspapers laying around- I have motherboards hard drives cpus pci cards etc...The itox mobo you helped me wiyh...was a project for my sister in law-she thought a hp pavillion desktop was"the ultimate gaming pc" or something...that board stunk when i pulled it out....Thanks again,DAVID

[John Prophet]

My A+ really got me going...even though I had no experience at all to back it up at the time. I was definitely a "paper A+". I mean..the first day of class they were dragging and dropping files onto a floppy, using windows explorer..and I had no clue what they were doing...I had to ask the dude next to me..like.."uhh, what exactly are yall doing there??" But I studied and checked out stuff on the internet....same as now.

But just the study for the A+ really "loosened" my mind up and got me hungry to learn more etc. That was like June-aug of 2001 I think...as a matter of fact I just skimmed through my Mike Meyers A+ All in One book last nite.....a great book....I referred back to it to try to remember the difference between a differential and an incremental backup, lol.

When I did get a job soon after I got the A+...I had no computer repair or building experience...maybe had installed windows once...lol. Total newby. And I was 34...so I didnt start young either. But I stuck with it. The first day on the job they had to show me how to create a dialup connection to test a modem, lol. But I applied myself and I learned quick....then a strange thing happened....soon I started to know answers to questions...eventually they started asking ME this or that...I got to be the "authority" on some stuff, lol (it was not an advanced shop, but I only had a few months experience so it was still a good acheivement for me).

But the A+ and other forms of "book learnin'" help people to not make weird assumptions about troubleshooting...it helps you to learn how to RESEARCH something...and/or a little about how to think more logically. Learning stimulates learning. Everytime a problem would come up in the shop that no one knew the answer to, I would go home and research it...the next day Id have the answer. Not hard stuff...stuff like "how to extract one file off of the Windows cd"....stuff like that. Or like when I had like 2 months experience..the dude that was becoming the "manager"....he couldnt figure out how to use norton ghost, lol...so I brought home a hard drive and went back the next day and showed them how easy it was. But the A+ study helped me get started..it took some of the "mystery" out of it all.

I think if a person studies and understands the A+ stuff..and gets a lot of nitty gritty hands on experience....like you did with that 100/133 bus speed problem...they have a good 'grounding" and a great foundation to build on. After all, no matter WHAT job you end up doing...they will always have a computer there that needs fixing! lol.

JP

[Shadowhaxor]

The win2k OS isn't going anywhere, not anything soon anyway. The NT server OS jsut died out, and companies still run it, so a Windows 2000 cert is a good bet. If anything, get your Windows 2000 cert and then go get a non-vendor cert like your A+ / Network+ / Server+. I myself have taken the win2k class twice, even though I have been working on win2k since its beta days, and have been supporting users on it for 3 years now. I just hate tests, but it is one of those certs that is worth it.

I'm 26 now, and got my first real computer job at 21, I work for the state of Maryland as a Network Specialist, with no major certs. Sure I had HP certs on all their pc's and servers, but nothing major. I got the job because the company I was working for told the IS department I was their best worker, and the state had been looking for someone like me, so I got lucky. Later after working there for 2.5 years, I left, and went back to work for a local computer repair/network shop. Once again, I had ended up in a state job, now as a PC tech/network tech, and I've been here for 3 years now. Only here did I get my first 2 certs, my A+ and my Network + in a matter of 4 months, and I have been putting of my win2k cert, not because I don't think i can do it, but I have my doubts, like many do.

Try to get a major cert like a microsoft, cisco, then focus on non-vendor certs that you can utilze on any platform.

Networking is never going to die, and is becoming more complex, and add networking security to that and you got a career for life.

[stant093]

Originally posted by John Prophet
My A+ really got me going...even though I had no experience at all to back it up at the time. I was definitely a "paper A+". I mean..the first day of class they were dragging and dropping files onto a floppy, using windows explorer..and I had no clue what they were doing...I had to ask the dude next to me..like.."uhh, what exactly are yall doing there??" But I studied and checked out stuff on the internet....same as now.

JP

little different here, i learned all about building pc's b4 schooling...im in school now for it, but a few semesters back they offered a A+ cert class, i aced it and still cant find anything in our area to have a use for it...ive been pondering the thought of going into biz for myself but its just so damn rural here....

[DRF138]

I agree that networking isn't going anywhere and everyone needs a secure network-
As far as your rural locale going into biz for yourself may leave you with alot of time by yourself when it comes to customers...then again piss poor marketing or a bad customer service skills can do the same thing-If you have adequate knowledge and like working with computers-maybe you could offer you skills to your local school district(probably got a computer or two laying around there),or a larger company in the immediate vicinity, either way gotta market well...Nothing wrong with biz for yourself "when no work is out there-make work" find a niche and sell your skills...
David